My irises are in bloom - and are just beautiful! Mother Day was a popular
search last week on IAD - so I was reminded of a project that Roberta Dunkle
submitted to ArtsEdNet a few years ago. Hand print iris paintings.
It is the Iris painted with the hand. First place several iris
colors (blues - purples in different values - tempera) in a Styrofoam tray
plus white. Roberta used blue, purple, hot pink and white.Green in another
container. The child is then guided to curve his hand into
a C shape and dip this hand into the paint getting a bit of each color -
then help him stamp this shape onto an 9 x 12
sheet of heavy drawing paper. This is the first half of the iris. Next turn
the paper upside down and reload the C shaped hand with color. Again stamp -
this time next to the first C shape. A bud can be made with the fist closed
and then stamped. The leaves and stems can
be drawn with a finger dipped into the green (or painted on later). Lots of
fun and the kids love to give them for Mothers Day.

Here is how Jean did it:

1. 3 rows of color, blue, purple, fluorescent.pink (tempera) on a large
plastic plate (not mixed)
2. dip side of hand in paint randomly picking up a little of each color
3. make a "C" shape with hand and wiggle the hand on the paper in 3-4
spots - keeping the "heel " of the hand in one spot so the flower has a
center. (think of the shape of the leaves of an iris and it makes sense.

I did 3 flowers on a 9 x 24 sheet having the kids make each flower above the
last. The stems and leaves are painted with green watercolor, the yellow
part of the flower I had them dot with their pinkie finger.